There's a particular kind of dread that settles in the stomach of a vegetarian traveller arriving in England. Centuries of "meat and two veg" tradition. Pies filled with mystery. Gravy that's seen things. The assumption that a salad and some chips will do you fine.
Forget all that.
The Cotswolds: those honey-coloured villages where the stone walls glow amber at dusk and the hedgerows smell of wild garlic in spring: have quietly become one of the best places in England to eat plant-based. And not in that sad, apologetic way. We're talking proper food. Food with heat, with substance, with the kind of care that only comes from people who actually give a damn about what they're cooking.
This is the route. These are the stops. And if you're travelling with us on a Cotswolds day tour from London, you won't have to settle for a wilted side salad and a sympathetic smile.
Stratford-upon-Avon: Where It Begins
You step off the coach in Shakespeare's hometown, and the first thing that hits you isn't the history: it's the smell of something frying. The town is busy. Tourists everywhere. And your stomach is already making demands.
Plantarium Café sits slightly off the main drag, which is exactly where you want to be. Fully vegan. No compromises, no asterisks on the menu. The space is small, unpretentious, the kind of place where the person taking your order probably made your food. They do a mushroom and walnut burger that has actual texture: earthy, meaty in all the ways that matter, served with chips that have seen the right amount of oil. The coffee is strong. The cakes are the kind of dense, moist slabs that don't apologise for existing.
But here's the thing about Stratford: it understands that vegetarian doesn't mean one-size-fits-all.
For Indian travellers: or anyone whose soul occasionally aches for the crack of mustard seeds in hot oil, the bloom of turmeric, the slow burn of green chilli: Avon Spice and Usha are the names you need. These aren't the anglicised curry houses serving tikka masala to tourists who think coriander is exotic. These kitchens know what "pure veg" means. Proper dal. Paneer that squeaks. Vegetable biryanis where the rice grains stay separate and the spices haven't been dulled for nervous palates.
We give you sixty minutes in Stratford. Enough time to eat well and still wander down to the river, watch the swans, and remember why you came.
Chipping Campden: The Quiet One
Chipping Campden doesn't shout. It doesn't need to. The high street curves gently, lined with buildings that have been standing since wool merchants made their fortunes here in the 1400s. The Market Hall, open-sided and ancient, has sheltered traders for four hundred years. The village is small enough that you can walk its length in ten minutes, but you'll want to linger.
Bantam Tea Rooms is where you linger.
This is proper English tea room territory: scones, clotted cream, jam: but they've adapted without losing the plot. Vegan scones that actually rise. Dairy-free cream that doesn't taste like regret. The tea comes in pots, because some things shouldn't change. The room is cosy in that particular Cotswolds way: low ceilings, small tables, the sense that you're being fed by someone's very capable grandmother.
Forty-five minutes here. Enough for tea, enough for a scone, enough to walk the high street and feel the centuries settle into your bones.
Stow-on-the-Wold: The Lunch Stop
This is where we eat properly.
Stow sits at the crossing of ancient roads: Roman routes that have been carrying travellers across this landscape for two thousand years. The market square is broad and handsome, surrounded by antique shops and tea rooms and pubs that have been pouring drinks since before your country existed (if you're American, that's not hyperbole: it's just maths).
Seventy minutes for lunch. Use them wisely.
The Hive does the kind of food that makes you feel virtuous and satisfied at the same time. It's a café-deli setup, bright and modern, with a menu that leans heavily into vegetables treated with respect. Roasted beetroot salads with actual depth. Soups that taste like someone actually seasoned them. The vibe is relaxed, the portions honest.
But if you want history with your lunch, The Porch House is the move. This pub has been serving food and drink since 947 AD. Let that sink in. The building is a maze of low beams, uneven floors, and fireplaces that have warmed a thousand winters. Their vegetarian options have improved dramatically in recent years: a proper veggie Sunday roast, mushroom-based mains with rich gravies, the kind of hearty food that this climate demands.
For something lighter, Coach House Coffee does excellent flat whites and pastries. Good for a quick hit before we move on.
Bourton-on-the-Water: The Pretty One
They call it the Venice of the Cotswolds, which is absurd, but you understand why when you see it. The River Windrush runs directly through the village centre, crossed by a series of low stone bridges. In summer, children paddle in the shallows. Ducks drift past tea rooms. It's almost too picturesque, like a film set that forgot to stop existing.
The Rose Tree restaurant sits right on the river, and they've put genuine thought into their vegetarian offerings. This isn't an afterthought menu: it's carefully constructed, with seasonal vegetables and combinations that actually make sense. The setting helps: eating by the water, watching the light play on the surface, feeling the particular peace that only comes from slowing down.
Forty-five minutes here. Enough time to eat, to wander the bridges, to take the photographs you'll actually want to keep.
Burford: The Final Stop
Burford's high street drops steeply toward the river, lined with antique shops and bakeries and buildings that have been here since the wool trade made this region rich. It's a proper market town: less polished than some of the villages, more lived-in, more real.
The pubs here have caught up with the times. Several Butcombe Brewery establishments in the area now offer solid vegan menus: not just token gestures, but proper mains and even vegan-friendly beers. The approach is straightforward: good ingredients, cooked simply, served without fuss.
If Bibury is on the cards instead, you'll see Arlington Row: those famous weavers' cottages that appear on every postcard of England ever printed. The dining options are more limited, but the Swan Hotel does accommodate dietary requirements with advance notice.
Why This Matters
Here's the truth about Cotswolds tours: most big coaches can't actually reach these places. The lanes are too narrow. The villages too small. They'll park you in a car park on the outskirts and point you toward the nearest chain restaurant.
Our 16-seater gets into the heart of things. We can pull up outside a café in Chipping Campden, wait while you finish your scone, and move on when you're ready: not when a schedule demands it.
For vegetarians, for vegans, for Indian travellers who understand that "just have the fish" isn't an option: this matters. The best food in the Cotswolds isn't hiding on main roads. It's down lanes that buses can't navigate, in villages that reward those who arrive the right way.
The green gold is out there. You just need the right vehicle to find it.
Ready to eat well on a tour to Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cotswolds? Browse our routes and let us know your dietary requirements when you book. We'll make sure you're fed properly.